AVS 47th International Symposium
    Biomaterial Interfaces Wednesday Sessions
       Session BI-WeP

Paper BI-WeP21
Endothelial Cell Organization on Micropatterned Protein Surfaces

Wednesday, October 4, 2000, 11:00 am, Room Exhibit Hall C & D

Session: Poster Session
Presenter: R. Daw, University of Washington
Authors: R. Daw, University of Washington
T.N. Wight, University of Washington
R.B. Vernon, Hope Heart Institute
P.S. Stayton, University of Washington
Correspondent: Click to Email
We have employed microcontact printing to investigate how spatial control of adhesive domains can direct the development of endothelial cell tubes for applications in tissue engineering and array-based sensors. Previous studies by Dike and co-workers showed that controlling adhesive geometries can dramatically affect endothelial cell fate and tube formation.@footnote 1@ Initial studies were directed toward comparing bovine aortic endothelial cell adhesion and activation on 5, 15 and 30 µm lanes of fibronectin (FN) versus laminin (LM) in the presence of 1 ng/ml of VEGF. Cells on LM tracks were able to migrate into intervening spaces of 20 µmm after 24 h. When the spaces between the lanes were increased from 20 to 80 µm cells remained adherent to the LM tracks except for those on the 5 µm tracks. Here, cells could spread between adjacent lanes. Endothelial cells were adherent to FN lanes throughout the range of pattern dimensions. A higher concentration of VEGF (10 ng/ml) stimulated migration off the patterned FN lines. FN lanes of 5, 15 or 30 µm were selected for subsequent studies directed toward defining the dimensionality of endothelial cell organisation into tubes. TEM showed that cells on tracks of 5 µm exhibited a significant arc of curvature and single endothelial cells encircled an organised fibrillar material to form tubes. Single tubes were also observed on 15 µm tracks but at this lane width, 2-3 cells organised together and circled a larger central fibrillar tube. These studies suggest that the composition of matrix proteins may play an important role in controlling endothelial cell development in confined geometries and that the organisation of endothelial cells into tube structures can be readily manipulated by controlling adhesive pattern dimensions. @FootnoteText@ @footnote 1@ Dike, L.E., Chen, C.S., Mrkisch, J.T., Whitesides, G.M., Ingber, D.E.; In Vitro Cell Devel. Biol. - Anim.; 35: 441-448; September 1999.